Donald Trump may be cutting arts funding nationally, but there’s no sign that Richmond’s percent-for-art program is going away. To help the city spend the $2.8 million current balance, the public art commission has released the first draft of a public art master plan, titled “Revealing Richmond.”
Recommended locations for public art include: the lobby of city hall, Main Street Station, the pipeline walk under the railroad tracks, some I-95 exits and “projects along Monument Ave.”
The public art commission and the city’s public art coordinator, Ellyn Parker, hired consultants Gail Goldman and Gretchen Freeman to develop the plan. A series of public meetings were held and survey input was collected in 2015 and 2016.
The plan also recommends strengthening the percent-for-art program, the public art commission itself and Parker’s position, which it recommends titling “public art manager.”
Comments are open until April 18 and several meetings will be held:
• Saturday, April 1, 10:30 a.m. -12 p.m., Crossroads Arts Center
• Tuesday, April 4, 12 p.m. -1:30 p.m., The Depot @ VCU
• Tuesday, April 4, 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., Hull Street Library
• Wednesday, April 5, 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., North Ave Library
• Monday April, 10, 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., Pine Camp Cultural Arts Center
• Wednesday April, 12, 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., Gallery 5
Goldman and Freeman are from San Diego and Phoenix, respectively, and received $150,000 to develop the plan. They also created public art master plans for Calgary, Canada, and San Antonio, TX.
